What are the means of making death, the grave and the Day of Resurrection stations of joy and happiness?

Firstly:

Death, the grave
and the Day of Resurrection are three difficult, frightening and terrifying
stations. Death is the point at which one’s deeds come to an end, the grave
is the first stage of the hereafter, and the Day of Resurrection is a day of
horror and reckoning, after which there is nothing but Paradise with its
eternal bliss or Hell with its intense heat.

Whoever prepares
well for that, by believing and doing righteous deeds, and taking all
measures to equip himself for that, is smart and wise.

At the first
stage, which is death, he will be given the glad tidings that he will soon
meet Allah, so he will love to meet Allah and Allah will love to meet him,
as al-Bukhaari (6507) and Muslim (2683) narrated from ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit,
from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who said:
“Whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to
meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him.” ‘Aa’ishah said: But we hate death. He
said: “That is not what I mean. But when death comes to the believer, he is
given glad tidings of the good pleasure of Allah and honour from Him, so
nothing is dearer to himj than what lies ahead of him, and he loves to meet
Allah and Allah loves to meet him. But when death comes to the disbeliever,
he is given the tidings of the wrath and punishment of Allah, so nothing is
more hateful to him than what lies ahead of him, and he hates to meet Allah
and Allah hates to meet him.”

It was said that
when the righteous person is carried to his grave, he asks the people
carrying his bier to speed up and hasten to take him to his grave, as was
narrated by Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“When the body is placed on the bier, and the men carry it on their
shoulders, if (the deceased) was righteous, he says, ‘Take me forward, take
me forward.’ But if he was not righteous, he says: ‘Woe is me! Where are
they taking me?’ Everything hears his voice except humans; if a human heard
it, he would fall unconscious.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (1314).

When he reaches
the second stage, which is the grave, his righteous deeds come to him and
console him, and his grave is made wide and expanded for him; a door is
opened to Paradise for him, and some of its breezes and fragrance come to
him, as is mentioned in the lengthy hadith of al-Bara’ ibn ‘Aazib, in which
it says, after the believer answers the three questions: “Then a voice calls
out from heaven, ‘My slave has spoken the truth, so prepare for him a bed
from Paradise and clothe him from Paradise, and open for him a gate to
Paradise.’ Then there comes to him some of its fragrance, and his grave is
made wide, as far as he can see. Then there comes to him a man with a
handsome face and handsome clothes, and a good fragrance, who says, ‘Receive
the glad tidings that will bring you joy this day.’ He says, ‘Who are you?
Your face is a face which brings glad tidings.’ He says, ‘I am your
righteous deeds.’ He says, ‘O Lord, hasten the Hour so that I may return to
my family and my wealth.’…”

Narrated by
Ahmad (17803) and Abu Dawood (4753); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in
Ahkaam al-Janaa’iz (p. 156).

Then when he
reaches the third stage, the Trumpet will be blown and the people will
depart separated [into categories] to be shown [the result of] their deeds
there (cf al-Zalzalah 99:6), and they will be in a state of panic. The sun
will be brought near to them, and there will befall them such extreme
distress that they will not be able to bear it, but the believer who did
righteous deeds will be resurrected safe and sound; the angels will meet him
with glad tidings, he will be in the shade of the Throne of the Most
Gracious, and he will be given a delightful drink from the cistern of
al-Kawthar, after which he will never thirst again. He will be given an easy
reckoning, then he will proceed to Paradise as vast as the heavens and the
earth, in confirmation of the words of Allah, may He be exalted,
(interpretation of the meaning):

“They
will not be grieved by the greatest terror, and the angels will meet them,
[saying], “This is your Day which you have been promised”

[al-Anbiya’
21:103].

Secondly:

The best means
that will make death, the grave and the Day of Resurrection stations of joy
and happiness for the believer are belief in Allah and righteous deeds, as
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“The ones whom
the angels take in death, [being] good and pure; [the angels] will say,
‘Peace be upon you. Enter Paradise for what you used to do’”

[an-Nahl 16:32]

“Indeed, those
who have believed [in Prophet Muhammad] and those [before Him] who were Jews
or Sabeans or Christians – those [among them] who believed in Allah and the
Last Day and did righteousness – no fear will there be concerning them, nor
will they grieve”

[al-Maa’idah
5:69]

“Indeed, those
for whom the best [reward] has preceded from Us – they are from it far
removed.

They will not
hear its sound, while they are, in that which their souls desire, abiding
eternally.

They will not be
grieved by the greatest terror, and the angels will meet them, [saying],
‘This is your Day which you have been promised’”

[al-Anbiya’
21:101-103].

To the extent
that the Muslim’s heart believed in Allah and his physical faculties did
righteous deeds, he will attain safety, happiness and joy in the hereafter.

Such factors
cannot be limited; rather everything that is mentioned in the Qur’an and
Sunnah of hastening to do good deeds, persisting in righteous deeds, helping
others, and competing with others in doing good and righteous deeds, is
included in that which will bring one closer to Allah and will bring greater
joy in this world and the hereafter.

And Allah knows
best.